Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to electronic memory technologies. More particularly, embodiments of the inventive concept relate to three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices and related methods of manufacture.
There is a continuing demand for semiconductor memory devices having faster performance and higher storage capacity. This demand places pressure on designers to increase the integration density of existing semiconductor memory devices.
In general, the integration density of a semiconductor device relates to the number of features that can fit within an area of the device. In planar devices, for instance, the integration density is limited by the degree of miniaturization of features, which depends on the capabilities of fine pattern forming technology. Unfortunately, such technology can be prohibitively expensive, so there are practical limits to the degree of miniaturization that can be achieved through miniaturization.
To overcome these limits, researchers have proposed semiconductor devices comprising memory cells arranged in three-dimensions. However, conventional three-dimensional semiconductor devices cannot be manufactured reliably or economically due to limits of current process technology.